The cost of cleaning up the UK’s existing nuclear facilities has been estimated to be between £95 and £219billion over the next 120 years. The harsh conditions within these facilities means that human access is highly restricted and much of the work will need to be completed by robots.
Present robotics technology is not capable of completing many of the tasks that will be required. Whilst robotic systems have proven to be of great benefit at Fukushima Daiichi NPP, their limitations, which include relatively straightforward tasks such as turning valves, navigating staircases and moving over rough terrain, have also been highlighted.
The consortium will develop autonomous robots which have improved power, sensing, communications and processing power. It will also develop systems which are able to address issues around grasping and manipulation, computer vision and perception.
The University of Manchester’s Professor Barry Lennox, who is leading this project, said: “This programme of work will enable us to fundamentally improve RAS capabilities, allowing technologies to be reliably deployed in to harsh environments, keeping humans away from the dangers of radiation.”
Within the next five years, the researchers will produce prototype robots which will be trialled in both active and inactive environments. These trials are expected to include using robotic manipulators to autonomously sort and segregate waste materials and to use multiple robots, working collaboratively, to characterise facilities that may not have been accessed for 40 years or more.
The technology will not only have potential for improving robots used at nuclear sites, but also in other hostile environments such as space, sub-sea, and mining. Or in situations such as bomb-disposal and healthcare which are dangerous or difficult for humans.
